Baseboard radiator



July 7, 1964 I. KRAMER BASEBOARD RADIATOR Filed May 25. 1961 INVENTOR Shaw-X M f lg. 3 BY a ATTORNEYS fig-2 United States Patent 3,139,925 BASEBOARD RADIATOR Israel Kramer, Trenton, N.J., assignor to Kramer Trenton Co., Trenton, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed May 23, 1961, Ser. No. 112,088 6 Claims. (Cl. 165-67) This invention relates to baseboard radiators which are usually installed in considerable length along the baseboard near the floor of living quarters for the circulation therethrough of a temperature affecting fluid such as hot water or steam, the radiator being fitted with fins for dissipating heat from the fluid into the room or other chamber in which the radiator is installed; the invention having for its main object the provision of a construction which permits of expansion and contraction during heating up and cooling off periods, regardless of the length of the radiator, without accompanying pinging or scraping noises.

Another object is to provide such a radiator which embodies a central fluid conveying tube or conduit with heat radiating fins positioned thereupon, and in which there is a minimum of clearance between the vertical edges of the fins and the walls of the surrounding or encasing housing within which the tube and fins are usually mounted to establish what is, in effect, a fine for augmenting circulation of warm air, as Well as for appearance and protection of the fins from outside injury.

Another object is to provide such a construction in which means permitting facile longitudinal expansion and contraction of the tube or conduit under the influence of temperature changes during heating and cooling periods is embodied without obstructing to any substantial degree the flue clearance between the fins and the exterior housing, thus promoting circulation or flue effect with good distribution of the warm air throughout the space in which the radiator is installed.

Another object is to provide such a construction in which the means designed and adapted for expansion and contraction serves not only that purpose or function, but also maintains the fins in precise longitudinal alignment without the possibility of relative movement in a rotary direction or irergularity in mutual spacing.

Another object consists in providing such a construction in which the means permitting expansion and contraction consists essentially of one or more, preferably two, rails affixed longitudinally on the lower horizontal edges of the fins and adapted slidably to rest upon brackets secured within the encasing housing; the brackets being formed with notches or recesses to receive in a complementary way the said rails in order not only to permit riding or sliding movement upon expansion and contraction but also to prevent lateral movement of the tube and its fins toward the front or toward the rear of the housing.

Another object is to provide such a construction in which the rails are formed with angular upper edges for snugly fitting in correspondingly shaped notches in the lower horizontal portions of the fins and maintaining the latter in exact relative position as hereinabove indicated.

Another object consists in providing such a construction in which the fins may be composed of very thin gauge metal which is lighter than commonly used heretofore without the danger of reduction in the thermal bond between the fins and their fluid circulating tube or conduit as result of mishandling or accident during shipping or installation, thereby reducing expense of manufacture and weight of the finished product while prolonging useful life.

Another object consists in providing such a construction in which the rail like means for facilitating riding or 3,139,925 Patented July 7, 1964 sliding motion durng expansion and contraction constitutes, in effect, an integral part of the fin and tube or conduit assembly.

A further object consists in providing certain improvements in the form, construction, and arrangement of the several parts whereby the above named objects and others inherent in the invention may be efliciently attained.

In brief summary, the invention comprehends a baseboard radiator that incorporates the usual hot fluid tube or conduit fitted with radiating fins and supported within a housing consisting of back, top, and front members with the bottom open and a gap between the top and front to provide a flue for the passage of air upwardly from the open bottom through the radiator and dispersal throughout the room, or the like, in which the radiator is installed; together with an adjustable baflle located at the gap between top and front for varying the width of the said gap which constitutes the outlet for the warmed air. The back and top of the housing are generally formed in one piece fitted to be fastened to the baseboard, and suitable supporting elements for the tube and fins are aflixed to the back. The significant features of the present invention reside in the provision of one or more, preferably two, rails secured to the lower edges of the fins in alignment with the tube, and complementary brackets which are notched slidingly to receive the rails and permit longitudinal motions while inhibiting lateral displacement of the tube and fins as well as rotary displacement of the fins on the tube, thus preventing scraping of the fins against the housing and avoiding resulting objectionable noises occasioned by expansion and contraction of the tube and fin unit during heating-up and cooling-off periods. The brackets are thin to promote air circulation and cooperate in the avoidance of scraping noises; while the fins themselves may safely be composed of very thin material due to the reinforcing influence of the rails, which actually constitute an integral part of the tube and fin assembly.

A practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which;

FIG. 1, represents, in perspective, a lower corner of a room, or the like, with the radiator installed therein;

FIG. 2, represents, on a much larger scale, a vertical section on the line IIII of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3, represents, on the same scale as FIG. 2, a broken, detail front view of the tube, fin and rail assembly fixed to the back of the housing, with the front of the housing removed, and;

FIG. 4, represents, on a still larger scale, a broken view of a fin portion showing the form of the notch for attachment to a rail.

Baseboard radiators are frequently installed in substantial lengths, such as six feet, or more, which requires accommodation for expansion and contraction in longitudinal direction during heating-up and cooling-down. As the tube and fins which compose the heat transfer ele ments are housed within closely fitting sheet metal members that establish a flue effect for better flow of the warmed air and its distribution in the room, or the like, the above mentioned expansion and contraction frequently give rise to scraping or pinging noises which are very annoying. The present invention overcomes this previously existing objection, while also attaining the other hereinabove named objectives.

Referring now to the specific form of the invention exhibited in the drawings, portions of the floor and two walls of a room, or the like, are marked 1, 2 and 3. Two sections of the combined back and top of the radiator housing are denoted by 4, 4, and are indicated as installed at the baseboard location. Similarly, two front sections of the housing are shown as in position, bearing the reference numerals 5, 5. They usually have a snap interlocking connection with the back for holding them in place, which is so well understood in this field as to require neither illustration nor further description. The customary baffle 6, is likewise shown in place. It is arranged to be adjustably set in any desired position for varying the gap between the top 4 and front 5, as above explained and, as this provision is a common expedient which does not partake of the present inventive concept, no further description is deemed necessary.

The heat transfer construction proper consists of a tube or conduit 7, which may appropriately, but not exclusively, be composed of copper, and is, as usual, coupled to a source of hot fluid, such as steam or water, neither the source nor the coupling being shown as not required for an adequate understanding of the invention. Heat radiating fins, denoted generally by 8, are positioned on the tube or conduit 7 in uniform spacing with the usual flanges 9 surrounding their central apertures in good thermal contact with the tube through expansion of the latter or the use of solder, or both. Aluminum is a good material for the fins, but this factor is subject to individual conditions and judgment of the manufacturer or engineer in charge.

Along the under edges of the fins, and in parallelism with the tube or conduit 7, there is secured a pair of rails marked 10, 10, which are preferably composed of aluminum, although any other suitable material may be employed. The upper edges of the rails are cross sectionally formed in the shape of an inverted L for snug fitting into correspondingly shaped notches fashioned in the lower edges of the fins, one of which is clearly shown in FIG. 4 and indicated by 11. The lower edges of the rails may be similarly formed and are slidingly received in suitable notches denoted by 12, 12, in supporting brackets, two of which are shown and marked 13, 13, the said brackets being made fast, as by brazing, welding, soldering, or in any other suitable manner, to the back 4 of the housing. As clearly shown in FIG. 3, the brackets are composed of material having a minimum thickness consistent with adequate strength, to avoid obstruction of the upward flow of air through the radiator.

It will be evident that the construction just described accomplishes an interlocking engagement of the fins with the rails and of the latter with the brackets which positively eliminates any lateral movement of the fins and tube within the housing 4, 5, with the consequential result that the clearance between the fins and the housing members may be very slight to provide the flue or stack effect that is highly desirable in promoting flow of air through the radiator.

Additionally, the rails 10 inhibit any relative rotary movement of the fins 8 upon the tube or conduit 7, thus preventing possibility of contact between the fins and the housing 4, 5, resulting from such rotary movement, while also maintaining perfect alignment of the fins with respect to each other.

Finally, the construction and interengagement of the fins, rails, and brackets is such as to allow for longitudinal movement of the tube and fins within the housing occasioned by expansion of the metal composing the tube and fins upon incidence of a heating up period and contraction upon incidence of a cooling-off period, since the rails may readily slide in the notches 12 of the brackets 13.

It will thus be clear that the construction and arrangement just described automatically accommodate the phenomenon of expansion and contraction resulting from thermal changes without the possibility of any contact between the fins and closely positioned housing members, and with the complete avoidance of the annoying ping- 4 ing or scraping sounds that have been characteristic of and have constituted a serious objection to baseboard radiators as heretofore produced.

It is believed that the operation or manner of use of this radiator is abundantly clear from the foregoing description, but it may be pertinent to note that, aside from the manual adjustment of the baflle 6 for fixing the gap between the top and front of the housing for regulating the outflow of air, and the opening or closing of a valve, or valves, (not shown) for the purpose of heating up or cooling down the radiator, the operation of the construction is entirely automatic as the flow of air through the radiator is, of course, activated upon the convection principle as indicated by the arrows, while the expansion and contraction of the tube and fins due to temperature change is a natural phenomenon requiring no explanation and in no way related to manual operation.

The invention not only well attains all the objectives hereinabove mentioned but is also of such a character as to require no alteration of any kind in the housing size or shape or in the general adaptability of the radiator.

It will be understood that various changes may be resorted to in the form, construction, material, and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention; and hence, I do not intend to be limited to details herein shown and described except as the same may be included in the claims or be required by disclosures of the prior art.

What I claim is:

1. A heat radiating assembly designed and adapted for incorporation in baseboard radiators having an enclosing housing with back and front and supporting means for the assembly within the housing, said assembly comprising, a longitudinal tube for the flow of heated fluid, radiating fins positioned on the tube in thermal bond therewith, said supporting means being provided with at least one notch in its upper surface, and at least one rail like element firmly set in the lower portions of the fins and projecting downwardly in a substantially vertical direction from the lower edges thereof with its bottom fitted for free sliding longitudinal reciprocation in the notch of the supporting means under the influence of thermal expansion and contraction while being prevented from lateral movement greater than that required for the said free sliding reciprocation and thus avoiding scraping contact of the fin side edges with any part of the assembly.

2. An assembly as defined in claim 1, in which the parts are so constructed and arranged as also to prevent rotary movement of the fins on the tube and scraping contact with any part of the assembly.

3. An assembly as defined in claim 1, in which there is a plurality of like notches and rails similarly arranged.

4. An assembly as defined in claim 1, in which the supporting means comprises a plurality of brackets secured to the back of the housing.

5. A heat radiating assembly comprising, a substantially straight tube, a group of fins positioned on the tube, and a plurality of vertically disposed guide rails having their upper body portions and upper edges firmly set in the lower portions of the fins and their lower body portions and lower edges projecting downwardly in vertical planes from the lower edges of the fins.

6. An assembly as defined in claim 5, in which the rails are spaced from the side edges of the fins.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,435,364 Wright Nov. 14, 1922 2,963,276 Nelson Dec. 6, 1960 3,103,970 Weiner Sept. 17, 1963 

1. A HEAT RADIATING ASSEMBLY DESIGNED AND ADAPTED FOR INCORPORATION IN BASEBOARD RADIATORS HAVING AN ENCLOSING HOUSING WITH BACK AND FRONT AND SUPPORTING MEANS FOR THE ASSEMBLY WITHIN THE HOUSING, SAID ASSEMBLY COMPRISING, A LONGITUDINAL TUBE FOR THE FLOW OF HEATED FLUID, RADIATING FINS POSITIONED ON THE TUBE IN THERMAL BOND THEREWITH, SAID SUPPORTING MEANS BEING PROVIDED WITH AT LEAST ONE NOTCH IN ITS UPPER SURFACE, AND AT LEAST ONE RAIL LIKE ELEMENT FIRMLY SET IN THE LOWER PORTIONS OF THE FINS AND PROJECTING DOWNWARDLY IN A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL DIRECTION FROM THE LOWER EDGES THEREOF WITH ITS BOTTOM FITTED FOR FREE SLIDING LONGITUDINAL RECIPROCATION IN THE NOTCH OF THE SUPPORTING MEANS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THERMAL EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION WHILE BEING PREVENTED FROM LATERAL MOVEMENT GREATER THAN THAT REQUIRED FOR THE SAID FREE SLIDING RECIPROCATION AND THUS AVOIDING SCRAPING CONTACT OF THE FIN SIDE EDGES WITH ANY PART OF THE ASSEMBLY. 